Rubber footwear.



ALFRED JOHNSON, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

RUBBER FOOTWEAR.

Application filed July 26, 1915. Serial No. 41,899.

To (HZ 20720121 it may concern Be it known that I. Ant-RED Jonxsox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber Footwear, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention consists of certain improvements in rubber footwear and relates particularly to the specific form .of attaching means for such.

he ob ect 18 to provide simple, cheap and dependable holdfast means for such wear.

Another object is to provide holdfast means which will render the detachable sole when applied to the shoe as nearly water tight as possible.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and in which like numeral characters indicate like parts: Figure l is a side elevation of a shoe equipped with my improved device. Fig. i is a transverse vertical section through the center of the shoe thus equipped. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a detachable sole equipped with my improved holdfast means. F l a perspective view of one end of the holdfast means with the rubber removed therefrom; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a portion of the holdfast means taken on the line A-B, Fig. :i'.

1 represents the amp of a shoe with the ordinary sole 2 attached and to which my improved detachable rubber sole is applied. The latter consists of the usual heavy wearing base 3 and the continuous flexible side wall 4:. Within the side walls t adjacent the innermost edge and extending the entire length thereof is incorporated in any suitable manner a spring wire 5. This wire is so formed previous to being placed within the side walls as to normally exert an in ward tendency of the side walls of the sole, to cause the same to snugly fit against. the vamp of the shoe when applied thereto. The ends of the wire 5 which terminate at the instep-end of the sole are each formed into a gripping-member, practically identical in construction, with the exceptions hereinafter not d. As is evident. these soles are made in pairs. each having an inner and outer side. The outer gripping mem- Specification of Letters Patent.

with the edges of the sole 2.

thereto, and will become slightly embedded Patented an. 18, 1916.

her upon the corner 6 is formed by the wire 5 being bent at right angles-inwardly a short distance from the instep end of the sole, then turned again at right angles and extending parallel with the body thereof, until approximately within the'edge of the inner end of the sole, then it is turned again at right angles and extends outwardly approximately twice the distance it was bent in the opposite direction, then bent at-right angles downwardly a distance slightly less than the thickness of an ordinaryshoe sole, then at right angles inwardly, forming a portion 7 equal in length to the portion 8, then bent at right angles longitudinally the soleforming the portion 10, then bent at i right angles to extend outwardly, forming the portion 11, equal to the portion 7 and parallel therewith, then bent at right angles upwardly, forming the portion 12, equal to the portion 13 and parallel therewith, then bent at right angles inwardly and securely fixed in any substantial manner such as with solder or the like at the pointof first bending. Thus we have formed a solegripping device inclosed upon three sides and de signed to snugly engage the sole of a shoe when applied thereto, the portion 10 being slightly depa'essed for such purpose. The wire fta'ming the portions 112 and 13' is flattened in a direction transverse the sole and such flattened portion extends some-' what upon the extensions of the wire forming such portion and the inside edges of said flattened portions are made sharp as at M, Fig. 5. These sharpened portions are for the purpose of more secure engagement when applied or indented within the edges of the sole when in place.

To the upper portion of the gripping means above described is securely attached in any desired manner an upwardly and outwardly extending loop of wire 16. This loop may either be fastened by soldering. or if 1 i'ci'-.-rred. formed of the same piece of wire as that of the gripping means. This loop i6 is for the purpose of providin a conrenient thumb piece for the application of he device and designed to lieientirely covered by the material forming the rcuiova le sole. The p rtion i is also intended to be entirei surrounded by the material 13 are'designed to. engage the sole of the shoe direct. a

The gripping member upon the opposite corner 1'Z of the removable sole is formed in: tegral with'the opposite end of the wire 5 and in formis identical with theoutside Q holt lfa st.meansjust described, except-that the, outer, vertical portions thereof, are not flattenednor sharpened in 'any manner whatever and there isno loop to correspond entire length and terminating at both ends i of comparatively soft material, such as rubwithjth 100112 16 '-upon the outer holdfast lmeans', ,it-hiis been demonstrated in practice. that "such is unnecessary. The" inner ripping means .is preferably entirely em edded within the'materia'l forming the sole,

withIthe'exce tion of the portion l8which is formed slig tly depressed like the portion on the opposite gripping means. I

Across the instep-end ofthe removable soleis formed a; relatively narrow strip 19 ber or the likewhich will form as nearly as possible, a water tight jcfl-int when applied,

toashoe'v From the foregoing, the application and operation ofthe device will be readily understood. 4

In applying the over-sole toa. shoe, is

'prefe'rably drawn on oven-the 'scile thereof endwise, the inside-grippin means-slipped into place-over the inside 0 the instep por- I tion ofthe shoe sole, then; by forcibly pinch the member 16: of"the outermost gripping jmean's, lthe'latter 'will' be readily opened to ing with 'an outward rolling motion upon snapwover thefouter edge of the instep portionyof the shoe sole, which complete the application nf the removable sole to the shoe, and the natural inward draft upon the oppositelydisposed gripping; members, will .cause the sharpened edges 0 thegportions 12. and 13 of the outside member to become slightly embedded within the outermc st edgesv of the shoe sole, and thus effectually prevent the outside of the oversolefrom creeping, which otherwise it would be in clined to do. v v Having thus described. my invention, what within the engaging portion throughout its r in a' grippingmeanswhereby the article is.

securely held in position when placed upon a shoe. 7 2. A removable article of footwear, comprising a sole, and engaging means partly surrounding the soleand terminating in resilient gripping means at the corners of the I instep end of the sole.

3. A removable sole of the character def n q i .scribed having a spring wire incorporated within the'uppermost shoe engagingedges thereoi, one end of-said wire terminating in member. 7 a

4. A'removable sole of the character described, having a sprin wire" incorporatedwithin the uppermost 0e engaging edges thereof, both ends of said wire terminating in resilient gripping members. m

5. A removable sole of the character (16.-

scribed having a spring wire- -incorporated within the uppermost shoe engaging edges thereof, and a resilient gripping member formed integral with'each end of the spring.

wire, the outside one of said'members hav- I ing an upwardly and outwardly extending portion by whichit is manipulated.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. i ALFRED JOHNSON. 'Witnesses: W. H. DENHA'MF,

S. Gno. STEVENS? 

